3 Extreme Encounters with the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament

The references to the “Angel of the LORD” in the Old Testament (mal-‘ak Yahweh מַלְאַךְ־ יְהוָ֖ה) are variously interpreted as consisting of several different angels, the same single angel (perhaps Michael the archangel), or even the pre-incarnate Jesus. Given that the answer still isn’t 100% crystal clear after 2,000 years of the Christian church I don’t anticipate to be able to crack that nut here – I’ll ask when I get to heaven. I will say a strong argument could be made for the latter case in Genesis 31:13 where the Angel of the Lord tells Jacob “I am the God of Bethel.” Being that there is only one God consisting of three distinct persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) one could logically conclude that this is Jesus (for more information on this, check out https://www.gotquestions.org/angel-of-the-Lord.html). On the other hand, perhaps it is an angel simply speaking word for word the direct message of God – again, don’t know, not going to try. What I do want to share, however, is three awe inspiring examples in the bible where the “Angel of the Lord” appeared.  

1. The Angel of the Lord Says His Name is Incomprehensible and Ascends to Heaven in Flames (Judges 13)

In Judges 13, the Angel of the Lord appears to Manoah’s wife and tells her that though she is barren, she “shall conceive and bear a son” (Samson) and that “no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”[1]  Manoah prays to God for the angel to come back and he does so – appearing to his wife in the field. She runs and retrieves Manoah and dialogue is struck between them. Towards the end of the conversation, Manoah asks for his name. The Angel of the Lord responds thusly:

18 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”[2] Judges 13:18 NKJV

The Hebrew word translated in the NKJV as “wonderful” is p̄e·li (פֶֽלִאי), which according to Strong’s concordance means: wonderful, incomprehensible.[3]

The NLT thus translates the phrase like this: “It is too wonderful for you to understand.”

Now that’s a concept – the Angel of the Lord can’t even share his name because it would blow Manoah’s mind. It blows my mind just trying to imagine what kind of name would have that impact.

The Angel of the Lord declines Manoah’s offer for food, suggesting he offer the goat as a burnt offering instead. Manoah does so, then watches in awe as the “Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar”. Quite understandably so, “When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.”[4]

2. The Angel of the Lord Makes a Donkey Speak (Numbers 22)

As the horde of Israelite slaves navigated the desert after their God-arranged escape from Egypt, their sheer size invoked fear in the surrounding nations. Balak – the Moabite King – was no exception. After seeing the Israelites crush the Amorites[5], Moab sends for Balaam to speak curses over the Israelites. As Balaam sets out with the Moabites, the Angel of the Lord appears three times along the trail – spooking Balaam’s donkey. The first time, the donkey turns away and runs into a field. Balaam beats the donkey and sets in back on the path. The second time, the donkey attempts to get to the side of the path, crushing Balaam’s foot against the wall. Again, Balaam beats the donkey. The third time – with nowhere to go on the narrow trail – the donkey simply lays down. Furious, Balaam beats the donkey with his staff. The donkey reacts accordingly:

 "Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, 'What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?'” Numbers 22:28 NKJV

Woah. Balaam responds:

29 "And Balaam said to the donkey, 'Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!'” Numbers 22:29 NKJV

Interesting. I would have responded – Oh snap! A talking donkey!

The donkey replies back:

30 "So the donkey said to Balaam, 'Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?'” Numbers 22:29 NKJV

Now that’s a polite donkey.

At this point in time God opens Balaam’s eyes to see the Angel of the Lord standing in his way with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bows his head and fell flat on his face (see a pattern here?). He admonishes Balaam for beating his donkey, saying that he would have killed Balaam were it not for the donkey turning aside. Balaam confesses his sin and listens to the instructions to speak only what he is directed concerning the Israelites. Thus, when he arrives to speak curses over the Israelites, he instead declares nothing but blessings – much to the fury of King Balak.

It’s wild to think that the donkey could see the Angel of the Lord when nobody else could. Makes you wonder what’s going on when your dog is apparently barking at nothing…or when birds and animals “sense” upcoming volcanic eruptions… random speculations here. Zero theological basis.

Note: if you are confused by the apparent contradiction between God “permitting Balaam to go” in verse 20 and HIs anger being aroused in verse 22 – so was I. There’s a good article that explains it here: http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=6&article=4829.

3. The Angel of the Lord Grills Up Some Goat Steaks for Gideon (Judges 6)

Though Joshua did well to keep the Israelites within the protection of God’s covenant – the subsequent generations deteriorated into sin and wickedness. As the Israelites continued to depart from God’s command, God allowed the Midianites to overwhelm and oppress them for seven years – destroying their crops and livestock. It was under these conditions that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon:

11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Judges 6:11-12 NKJV

Note to self…encourage my wife to address me at all times as “mighty man of valor”.

The Angel of the Lord proceeds to explain that he will use Gideon to deliver Israel from the hand of the midianites. Ever the one to double check, Gideon asks:

17 Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. 18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.”Judges 6:17-18 NKJV

The Angel of the Lord obliges, and Gideon prepares a young goat and unleavened bread, laying them out on a rock.

21 Then the Angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. Judges 6:21 NKJV

Now that’s how you could make some heavenly fire baked pizza.

Terrible pun aside, the act galvanized Gideon to tear down his father’s Baal worshipping alter and erect one instead for Yahweh – the first act of his assigned duty to deliver Israel from Midianite oppression.

So there you go! Three encounters with the Angel of the Lord. Hope you enjoyed. Certainly helps me to remember I serve a God that is so unbelievably powerful that I cannot hope to fathom all His glorious ways.

-Nicolas C. Day

[1] Judges 13:5

[2] In the KJV: “Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it [is] secret?

[3] http://biblehub.com/hebrew/6383.htm

[4] Judges 13:20

[5] Numbers 21

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Searching for "Ant"swers

Army ants are fascinating and formidable creatures. With upwards of 15 million worker ants banding together in 20m x 100m trails to form devastating foraging raids, a colony may decimate up to half a million unfortunate victims a day.[1]Being mostly blind, they rely entirely on pheromones to coordinate this murderous march – and do so quite adeptly. Should a section of the foraging party get separated, however, the result is a bizarre phenomenon known as an “ant mill." 

Hang in there. There is a point here, I promise.

“Army ants are not only good at following trails but also have a propensity to form circular mills when moderate numbers are separated from a colony and restricted to a confined area, either in the laboratory (figure 2a) or naturally in the field during exceptionally severe rainstorms (Schneirla 1971; Franks et al. 1991; Gotwald 1995). After a period of disorder, the ants all begin moving in the same direction… As more ants move in one direction, it becomes increasingly hard for individuals to move the opposite way, and this causes the ants collectively to select a (randomly determined) direction.”[2]

Once a direction is established, the ants will continue marching in an indefinite circle until they collapse and die in exhaustion.[3]

Crazy huh?

The whole ordeal is rather reminiscent of the human condition. As the ultimate “ant mill”, we – cut off from God’s intended trail by our sinful choices – are caught up in a spiral of death, in need of a miraculous intervention. Like the ants, we are not even aware of it – we are simply the “blind lead[ing] the blind.” (Matthew 15:14).

Thankfully, by God’s divine grace and the good news of the gospel – we have been given the means to be plucked out of our deadly circle through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

“For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57 NLT)

Even as a Christian, however, the army ants make me wonder. Am I holding myself back from pursuing all God calls me to be because I find comfort in following the crowd? If so, it’s time for me to cut loose from the circle, placing my trust in God over security in numbers.  

In the words of Andy Andrews: “Everybody wants to make a difference, but nobody wants to be different. And you simply cannot have one without the other.”[4]

- Nicolas C. Day

P.S. check out a video of an ant mill in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rup3EdA0kw

Crazy!

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_ant#cite_note-Franks_Fletcher-15

[2] Couzin ID & NR Franks (2003). "Self-organized lane formation and optimized traffic flow in army ants". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 270 (1511): 139–146.

[3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant_mill

[4]http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/4111120-everybody-wants-to-make-a-difference-but-nobody-wants-to

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Parental Quiz: Would Jesus Say That?

My wife and I recently conducted a rather convicting parenting exercise. We collected a list of some of the phrases we say to our children and attempted to picture Jesus speaking those same words to us. We quickly realized that some of the words spewing out of our mouths would never be found on the lips of our Lord and Savior. Here's some of our highlights/lowlights (let me know if you can relate to any of these):“I don’t respond to whining.” (Often accompanied by “ask like a man” when talking to my son).

I can just see Him now, throwing His hand up in my face as I cry out in desperate need, “Stop whining, and speak like a man, Nick.” Yikes. While we are to “do everything without grumbling or arguing” (Philippians 2:14 NIV), God does invite us to lay our worries before Him. In fact, He wants you to bring your concerns to Him. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 NIV.

Note the distinction here between grumbling and anxiety. In 1 Corinthians 10:10, Paul refers to the grumbling of the Israelites in the desert using the Greek word “gogguzó” – meaning “murmur, grumble (generally of smoldering discontent).”[1] Contrast this with the Greek word “merimna” in 1 Peter 5:7 – meaning “care, worry, anxiety.”[2] Consider also the many lamenting Psalms that beseech God with their complaints in an appropriate manner of prayer.[3] For further reading on “complaining to God” check out this article: http://matthewsleonard.com/is-it-okay-to-complain-to-god/.

“You’re a big boy/girl, do it yourself.”

Imagine God saying, “Why do you need My help? You’re a big Christian now, do it yourself.” I think some people may have the false perception that God does take that stance due to the often misquoted “God helps those who help themselves.” Not only is that not in the bible, but also it is contradictory to what Scripture teaches. Jesus wants us to depend on Him – not do things by ourselves. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5 NIV.

Just as my toddlers are in a constant state of need, so am I utterly dependent on my Father’s help. Whereas I consider my necessities more complex then needing a diaper change and/or finding a lost toy/sippy cup/pacifier in the middle of the night, my children probably share a similar sensation of being completely overwhelmed and helpless to address their problems. Thankfully, God promises to be there to help us through the hard times – even if it doesn’t look quite like what we expected. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10 NIV.

“Daddy needs some space.”

This is a polite way of telling my kids to leave me the heck alone. This statement typically emerges when my three year old asks “why” for the millionth time that day – or when I am lying down on the ground in exhaustion with my three kids literally jumping up and down on my head. God, however, doesn’t need “space”. He doesn’t ask for a “Daddy break”. Instead, Jesus is constantly beckoning us towards a closer relationship with him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 NIV.

Pretty sure if Jesus said some of the things I say to my children to me it would crush me into a tiny little heap on the ground. But that’s not usually the first thing that runs through your mind when you’re a sleep deprived parent with a three year old, a two year old, and a one year old clinging to your legs while screaming/whining/persistently asking random questions/all the above.

The fact is, parenting is hard. Really, really hard. Or as my wife would say, “parenting is the perfect opportunity to practice grace.” As hard as we try, we will certainly fail at times – and that’s where it is helpful to remember the following:

1. “Jesus paid the penalty for every moment when you fail as a parent.” (Parenting, Paul David Tripp)

2. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)

Clearly I have some spiritual maturing to do in the realm of parenting. It gently convicts and humbles me to admit this – evidence of God nudging me with His (far better) act of parenting.

Ultimately, I know that no matter how many parenting books I read, I cannot be the father I am called to be without the purifying work of the Holy Spirit. That is just one of the countless reasons that I am thankful for being adopted by the perfect Father in heaven.

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” - John 1:12 NLT

Pray for me.

-Nicolas C. Day

[1]http://biblehub.com/greek/1111.htm

[2]http://biblehub.com/greek/3308.htm

[3]http://www.crivoice.org/psalmtypes.html

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What Adele & the Bible Have in Common

“It's no secret that the both of us are running out of time.”[1]

“Let me photograph you in this light in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were before we realized we were sad of getting old.”[2]

“But we had time against us.”[3]

When my wife bought an Adele album a couple of years ago, we spent the whole weekend jamming out to it – windows rolled down in the minivan, sound blasting like we were cool kids in college (forgetting cool kids in college don’t drive a minivan). We had no shame.  It dawned on me as we listened to the songs on repeat… Adele seemed acutely aware (and terrified) of the fact that we cannot stop the flow of time – and that it goes by fast.

Scripture echoes this same sentiment:

12 So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 (NKJV)

14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James 4:14 (NKJV)

While I haven’t met her to ask, by the tone of her voice Adele seems totally freaked out by the ticking clock. And you know what? I get it. Before I was saved it freaked me out too. What if I don’t hit it big before I die? Will I leave a legacy? What if no one cares? And…oh frick! I’m one day closer to dying!

While in a sense my call as a Christian is similar, it has a different focus: how can I do the most to glorify God, share the good news of the gospel, and help others with my limited time on earth? But the really big differentiating factor – the thing that finally brought peace to my life in this area – is the promise of eternal life:

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NKJV)

In my previous life, I was paralyzed by the fear that one day my timer would count down and it would be all over – and there was nothing I could do about it. I haven’t done anything to change my biological clock, but now I am released from the terrifying clutches of death, knowing that I have eternal life. I’m actually thankful that my hardship filled season on earth is exponentiallyshort in comparison to the glorious season to come.

- Nicolas C. Day

[1] Adele, “Hello”

[2] Adele, “When We Were Young”

[3] Adele, “I’ll Be Waiting”

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Prayers for Manchester

It is with a heavy heart that I write this blog post in the wake of the Manchester bombing. My prayers and deepest sympathies go out to those affected by this atrocious act of terrorism. These are the moments that make me want to thrust my hands in the air and scream, “Why?” Why indeed? Isn’t an act like this proof against the existence of God? After all, if there is a good and loving God, how could He possibly let this happen?

C.S. Lewis has this to say on the subject:

“God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong, but I can't. If a thing is free to be good it's also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.”[1]

The fact of the matter is, we live in a fallen world of suffering and death as a consequence of sin.[2] However, as a Christian, I know that God is sovereign and His plan is perfect: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 NIV).

Even if we may not see or understand what good could possibly come out of a given situation, God sees the bigger picture and is working in the midst of our pain. Joseph understood this when he confronted his brothers that had sold him into slavery: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good…”(Genesis 50:20 NLT).

As God weaves back together the frazzled threads in His external masterpiece, He is simultaneously knocking at the door of our hearts to incite internal growth as well: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." (James 1:2-3). (While this verse is important and true, however, I see this more as a spiritual maturation goal – an attitude to drop your anchor in before the storm, not a source of comfort during times of distress).

Ultimately, the best comfort I find, is the promise made to those who have accepted the forgiving grace of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross: And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (Revelations 21:4 NKJV).

Whether you are mourning in Manchester or you are dealing with your own heart shattering pain, I invite you to join me in clinging to the words of Jesus: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NKJV).

-Nicolas C. Day

[1] C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

[2] Romans 5:12

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Scriptural Wisdom Reaffirmed by Neuroscience

I love how science and scripture intertwine so beautifully. Unfortunately, not everyone perceives this to be the case. Typical objections revolve around claims that “real science” does not harmonize with the creation story in Genesis. There is a wealth of books and resources out there to address that –and I may write a post about it in the future myself. For now, you may want to take a quick glimpse here to address any questions along those lines: www.answersingenesis.org. Anyway – all that aside, I want to shift my focus to the following verse, which popped up on my YouVersion app the other day:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

After letting the verse sink in, I wanted to find out if anything in the “secular world of science” reflected this sound piece of biblical wisdom. In my search, I stumbled across an interesting statement from an article published in the Journal of Neuroscience:

“…even if two individuals experience similar initial joy from an event, some will savor it while others will not (Wood et al., 2003). The ability to experience and sustain positive emotion is critical to daily function, well being (World Health Organization, 2013), and health (Pressman and Cohen, 2005). Positive emotion is a precursor in the recovery from psychiatric illnesses (Zimmerman, 2012). Experiencing sustained positive emotion has several other salubrious effects including lowering levels of inflammation (Steptoe et al., 2005) and may extend life expectancy (Steptoe and Wardle, 2011).”[1]

So you’re telling me…that by meditating on “…whatever things are lovely…” one may actually extend their life expectancy? Sounds perfectly applicable to me! (Note the word translated “lovely” here stems from the Greek word prosphilés, an adjective meaning “worthy of personal affection; hence, dearly prized, i.e. worth the effort to have and embrace”[2] – clearly something that would elicit sustained positive emotion while meditating over).

Another interesting note from the study is that they could actually observe the response of elongated positive thoughts in the brain as visible “sustained ventral striatum engagement.”[3] I have no idea what a ventral striatum is. Apparently it’s in your brain. Wikipedia says it’s somewhere around here:

img_2774

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striatum

According to the Medical Dictionary, the ventral striatum is “associated with decision, risk and reward”[4] – hence the activation in the study. Now the next time someone asks you how your ventral striatum is doing, you will know what they are talking about.

However, one thing I noticed that the study didn’t answer – was how to focus on positive thoughts (or maybe it did… there was a lot of medical jargon that I didn’t understand). That’s where I’m going to refer back to the bible again:

 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV

With God’s word as a roadmap and the conviction of the Holy Spirit as a moral compass, we are well equipped to discern what things are true, noble, just, and pure to focus on.  With prayerful surrender, God grants the ability to resist temptation and focus our eyes instead on the things that help us to better reflect Christ in this world – with an actual, measurable benefit towards our own physical wellbeing as well.

- Nicolas C. Day

[1]http://www.jneurosci.org/content/35/29/10503

[2]http://biblehub.com/greek/4375.htm

[3]http://www.jneurosci.org/content/35/29/10503

[4]http://medicaldictionary.net/ventral-striatum.html

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What 3 Biblical Proverbs Tell Us About A Good Wife

Since this blog post is sandwiched in between Mother’s Day and our five-year anniversary, I have decided to dedicate it to my amazing wife (or my “rib” as my wise friend Yuan would say). I could think of no better way to do that then to share how the bible confirms what a blessing she is to me. So…without further ado, what three biblical proverbs tell us about a good wife:  

1. She is a delight

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22 NKJV

The Hebrew word translated for good here is “towb” (ט֑וֹב) which is an adjective meaning: pleasant, agreeable, good.

Hence, the NET translation: “The one who finds a wife finds what is enjoyable, and receives a pleasurable gift from the Lord.”

2. She is a gift from God

“Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” Proverbs 19:14 NKJV

Money and material possessions were created by man, but woman was created for man.[1] There is a considerable gap between the things that we make (cars, buildings, etc) and the things that God creates (such as…the Universe).

3. She is valuable

“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10 NKJV

Notice that? Her worth is not just above rubies, but far above. The International Gem Society states that the value of the finest rubies can reach outlandish prices of over $100,000 per carat. Given that, you can get the gist of the enormous worth that the verse is referring to when it states rubies (plural) – plus an unidentified order of magnitude above it!*

Closing in on 5 years of marriage, I can attest that every single one of above Proverbs rings true. While it can be confusing and frustrating at times, attempting to cross the communication barrier between men and women, there is not a shred of doubt in my mind that I am ten times the man I would have been thanks to the support of my amazing wife. Happy anniversary/Mother's Day beautiful!

- Nicolas. C Day

*Note: I contemplated doing some math here, taking into account the conversion of 1 carat = 0.000440925 pounds to calculate the relative value of my wife based on her weight in rubies – but quickly shot that down after some wise prompting by the Holy Spirit.

[1] Genesis 2:18

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3 Ways Dogs Remind Me of Jesus (Thanks to Marley and Me)

Please don’t misconstrue the title of this post for a lack of reverence for our Lord Jesus Christ. Obviously any comparisons stated here are limited in nature. The fact of the matter is, whenever I watched the movie Marley & Me, I was struck by at least three quotes that immediately brought to mind an image of Jesus. I mean to a tee. If taken out of context, I would have sworn they were from a pastor’s sermon.  

1. “A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his.”*     

Your background is not Jesus’s priority – he made that abundantly clear when he sought to save the criminals, prostitutes, and tax collectors. Neither is God concerned with the things by which the world measures success. Simply put, He wants your heart.

2. “Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity.”*

There is a plethora of powerful verses on joy and giving thanks in all circumstances. Jesus epitomized this quality, wishing the same for us. Paul, perhaps, conveys this most succinctly:

3. “He taught us the art of unqualified love. How to give it, how to accept it.”*

The act of God descending from Heaven, humbly donning the flesh of man, and shedding His blood as a redeeming sacrifice for the creation that turned its back on Him is the definition of unqualified love. Jesus also stressed during his earthly ministry this importance of loving others unconditionally.

So there you have it – three ways dogs remind me of Jesus. Now next time you walk through that front door and your pup’s face lights up and that tail starts wagging, just remember – Jesus loves you infinitely more.

- Nicolas C. Day

*https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/14961-marley-me-life-and-love-with-the-world-s-worst-dog

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A Three Year Old & The Story of Jehoshaphat

Toddlers can be amazing little sources of revelation. Since I am enormously blessed to have three of them, I am dealt a heavy dose of wisdom on a daily basis. Here’s the funny thing about toddlers. Though they are comparatively lacking in accumulated knowledge over their short lives, they still insist on doing things their way (often against the advice of their exasperated parents). For instance, every night (without fail) when I am giving my three-year-old son a bath, I ask him to tilt his head back and look up. This is so when I wash his hair, the water won’t run down and get shampoo into his eyes. He flat out refuses, choosing to look down instead.  I warn him multiple times of the consequence of that choice – thinking maybe this will be the night he listens. Inevitably, however, I will end up pouring the jug of water over his downward facing head and the shampoo-infused mixture will predictably flow right into his eyes. Even though it’s tear free he still freaks out and screams, “I WANT A TOWULLUH!” to wipe his face.

Sometimes that sounds like my personal relationship with my heavenly Father. I wonder how many times in my life have I flat out insisted doing things my way against the compassionate urgings of God only to demand a towel afterwards when it all blows up in my face. You’d have thought by now I would have learned to look up first and listen to the voice of infinitely more knowledge than I will ever possess.

The whole sage reminds me of a biblical story that is quickly becoming a favorite for my wife and me – the story of Jehoshaphat.

The ATS Bible Dictionary has this to say about Jehoshaphat:

“He was distinguished by his zeal for true religion, and his firm trust in God. He thoroughly cleansed the land from idolatry, restored the divine ordinances, and provided for the religious instruction of the people. His government was highly prospered at home and abroad.”[1]

Despite the good he accomplished, however, Jehoshaphat’s story is riddled with poor choices (as are all of ours).

Jehoshaphat arranges for an alliance with the wicked King Ahab of Israel. The marriage arrangement results in a failed assault against the Syrians (on which he embarks against the direct advice of God)[2] and reintroduces idol worship in Judah.[3] He then manages to lose an entire fleet of ships in a failed trade agreement.[4] Finally, Jehoshaphat unites with King Joram in a war against Moab.[5] While they are successful, the endeavor spurs a retaliatory assault by a massive coalition of Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, and Syrian armies that marched towards Jerusalem in order to wipe Judah off the face of the map.[6]

Map

Surrounded and on the edge of destruction, Jehoshaphat proclaims a fast in Judah and gathers an assembly in Jerusalem. In faith, he calls out to the Lord, ending his fantastic prayer with the following words:

…we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 (NKJV)

Wow…our eyes are upon you… talk about a great time to look up!

God responds, sending his Spirit to speak through a man named Jahaziel:

“…‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s…You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’…” 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 (NKJV)

Sure enough, God arranges for the armies to turn against each other – completely annihilating one another. When Jehoshaphat arrives with his army the next morning, all they could see were dead bodies extending in every direction:

24 So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped. 2 Chronicles 20:24 (NLT)

Jehoshaphat became a fervent warrior in that moment because he took the counterintuitive step of surrender – shifting his eyes upwards, seeking guidance. As a result of his faithful obedience, God fights the battle completely for him. Had he done otherwise, it would have spelt certain disaster for him.

Like my son in the bathtub, I often find myself gazing downwards, making a mess of things by insisting on doing it my way.  My prayer is that I continue to grow in faith and trust to where I am always looking upwards instead – even if it may sting my eyes a little. Wash my hair Your way God – not mine!

- Nicolas C. Day

[1]http://biblehub.com/topical/j/jehoshaphat.htm

[2] 2 Chronicles 18

[3] 2 Kings 8:18

[4] 1 Kings 22

[5] 2 Kings 3

[6]http://biblehub.com/topical/j/jehoshaphat.htm

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